Community Outreach
The “Buy Local Commitment” supports the Buy Local movement, emphasizing the value of local activities on Guam to grow Guam’s economy. Buying Local means to purchase products and services offered by local businesses that are the backbone of our island’s economy. This commitment is a company's pledge to "Think Local, Support Local, Buy Local," whenever possible. Think local would ask companies to think about a local product, company, or organization before any other; Support Local by contributing to major non-profit organizations on island; and, Buy Local by shifting at least 10% of a company’s on-line or off-island purchase to local businesses. This is a program developed by the Guam Chamber of Commerce, Guam Economic Development Center and the University of Guam’s Pacific Center for Economic Development.
A program of the Chamber that brings women professionals together once a quarter to enhance personal and professional growth, allowing for participants to connect with other women of all career levels to strengthen professional networks and engage in the Guam business community.
Welcome to the Chamber Biz Box & Members Spotlight, these podcasts is all about our private sector. We feature the issues and successes we face as a business community and interesting tidbits about the entrepreneurs and leaders that make a difference to ensure that our private sector continue to grow and flourish.
Welcome to the Chamber Member Spotlight Podcast, where we feature one of our many small business members, the backbone of our island community. They provide much-needed services and products, employ our residents, pay taxes, and give back to our community in a number of ways!
We are so glad you are here today, click the links below to view to listen on your favorite podcast site!
Dave J. Santos Scholarship
A scholarship fund was established in 1993 to assist business students enrolled in the University of Guam’s School of Business. The scholarship was named in honor of the late Dave J. Santos, past Chamber Board Chairman, Guam’s 1993 Small Business Person of the Year, and a strong advocate of local entrepreneurship. The scholarship is available to eligible juniors and seniors in the undergraduate business program and to eligible graduate students in the School of Business.
Promotes excellence in Guam’s education system by creating alternatives, which produce outcomes in educational achievement as desired by parents, students, faculty and community.
The Guam Business Hall of Fame pays tribute to a company and a business 
leader (employed, retired or deceased) who have made exceptional contributions to business and industry in Guam. The aim of the Business Hall of Fame is to recognize Guam's champions of free enterprise and entrepreneurship through the Guam Chamber of Commerce.
ELIGIBILITY:
Any individual or for-profit enterprise licensed to do business in Guam. Business must have operated in Guam for a minimum period of ten years.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
Individuals and companies nominated for admission into the Guam Business Hall of Fame will be selected on the basis of key criteria.
Individuals must:
- be recognized as a model entrepreneur, having their own money at risk in the spirit of free enterprise, and
having made a significant contribution to the success of their company or profession; - have developed a company or structure that enhanced productivity, quality and profits;
- have served as a role model; encouraged others to be entrepreneurs;
- have demonstrated civic as well as corporate leadership; and,
- have resided or worked in Guam at least 10 years.
Companies must:
• be recognized as having been a successful business for at least 10 years and was/is a credit to their industry;
• have developed a product or service that met community needs;
• have demonstrated successful management of resources to enhance productivity and profitability over an extended
period of time;
• have maintained good labor/management relations; encouraged others to be entrepreneurs; and,
• have demonstrated outstanding commitment to community involvement.
SELECTION COMMITTEE
The Selection Committee consists of persons filling the following positions:
- Chairman of the Board, Guam Chamber of Commerce;
- Appointed Board Director, Guam Chamber of Commerce;
- Appointed Board Director, Guam Chamber of Commerce;
- Selection will be made by a panel of judges comprised of representatives from the business community and the community at large.
INDUCTION CEREMONY
An induction ceremony will be part of the Chamber's 100th Anniversary Celebration on May 4, 2024. A special program centered on the life of the Laureate and Business recipient will be featured. The Laureate (or designated representative in the case of a deceased Laureate) and Business Awardee will receive symbolic awards designed to be representative of Guam and visually symbolize strength, keenness of vision, and great achievement in business leadership.
NOMINATION FORMS
Nomination forms are available at the Chamber office. Use only these forms (copy additional applications as needed). Send three (3) collated copies of the nomination forms and attachments to Guam Business Hall of Fame Selection Committee c/o GUAM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE East West Business Center, Suite D301 - 3rd Floor, 718 N. Marine Corps, Upper Tumon, Guam 96913.
2024 LAUREATE Video
2024 LAUREATE
Robert "Bob" Salas
Laureate exemplifies every key trait of a successful entrepreneur: he is tenacious, a creative problem-solver, steadfastly determined, and a visionary with foresight beyond his generation. A pioneer in the local landscaping industry, Laureate grew his company, Landscape Management Systems (LMS), into a full-service program management company including engineering and construction services, adding to his horticulture and landscape service portfolio.
Before establishing LMS in 1994, Laureate was a private developer and contractor working on significant iconic property development projects in Guam such as the LeoPalace Resort, Mangilao Golf Course, Fish Eye Observatory, and Cocos Island. As a small landscaping business, the company quickly earned a reputation for showcasing native plant designs in the company’s artistic landscaping projects. Seeing the trend catch on quickly, Laureate strategically diverted resources at the company’s 25-acre nursery to grow and cultivate several hundreds of indigenous plants and trees in anticipation of the growing desire among businesses, residents, and government entities to incorporate native plants into their landscaping needs. This foresight has served the company well as LMS is currently the supplier of local plants, shrubs, and trees for almost every prime contractor with a federal government contract. Laureate continues to educate himself and his staff on industry issues and practices which has been invaluable in producing quality work and being able to adapt and be flexible when the need arises.
Coming from humble beginnings, Laureate understands the value and importance of education. He established scholarships that benefited students from local high schools and colleges to attend several educational institutions in Guam. Most notably, Laureate provided a platform for the University of Guam students to pursue their master’s degree based on the work and data derived from environmental contracts his company had in partnership with the University of Guam’s Guam Plant Extinction Prevention Program (GPEPP).
Laureate thrives on challenging the status quo and actively seeks ways to create efficiencies to enhance productivity and profits. His success follows a template that works for him: financial gains and efficiencies of one company eventually led to the establishment of another company to support the efforts of the existing one. Laureate’s vision for success in time catapulted the company’s offering into turnkey solutions in the following industries: Real Estate Development and Construction Management; Contractor Site Solutions (with portable office and bathroom space sale and rentals); Environmental Listed Species Protection and Hazardous Waste Transportation and Disposal; Green Waste Recycling and Solid Waste Disposal Services; Civil Construction and Heavy Equipment Sales and Rentals; Logistics and Transportation; Broadband and Internet Development; and Cemetery Sales and Services.
Over the years, Laureate has served the community on various community and private sector Boards including the Guam Economic Development Authority, University of Guam Endowment Foundation Board, Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Board, Guam Contractors Association, where he served as Chairman of the Board in 2012 and on the Guam Chamber of Commerce Board, serving on the Executive Committee in 2017. He has mentored up-and-coming young business professionals and often provides hands-on experience for students of various disciplines and majors in the art of horticulture and landscape design. Laureate’s company developed and designed the annual GVB Holiday Illumination Village in Tumon for several years, making it both a community and tourist attraction during the holiday season. Laureate attributes much of his growth and maturity to his experiences in youth sports leagues and continues to pay it forward by sponsoring and contributing to many local sports events and organizations every year.
Laureate sees a need and fills it. He has provided landscape designs and gardens for many public spaces and memorials at no cost to the organization or the residents of Guam. He has donated local plants and trees to village mayors for their community grounds. Most recently, 2023’s Typhoon Mawar left Guam with a devastating amount of green waste. Laureate’s company provided green waste drop-off areas for village mayors at no cost to the villages, bearing the cost of disposal themselves. On top of the annual contributions to schools, sports teams, and events, Laureate contributes to various civic, cultural, and non-profit organizations each year.
Among Laureate’s numerous awards and recognitions, some of the most notable include the Guam Contractor Association Contractor of Year (2017), Excellence in Construction Awards (every year for the past decade), National Safety Excellence Award from Associated Builders and Contractors (2016), and the Guam Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Small Business Award (2013).
Laureate has served as a role model, inspiration, partner, and friend for numerous people across various industries. He also serves as an inspiration for his children, Rob and Randy Salas, who have launched their own successful companies. Laureate’s love for Guam is perpetuated in his continuous support of island youth in providing experiences and opportunities not available to him as a child; and, in continuing to strive for excellence in producing quality work and seeking efficiencies to aid in developing a better tomorrow for his island community.
Improve the quality of life in Guam by advocating for policies that improve health outcomes and experiences for all Guam residents.
Support our tourism and hospitality industry by advocating for the beautification, safety, and sustainability of our island and our region.
The Chamber, in partnership with the Superior Court of Guam’s Juvenile Drug Court, developed a program of basic skills workshops designed for youth participants. The courses are grouped into four categories: Work or Job Oriented Skills, Life Skill or Personal Interest, Self-Esteem and Goal Oriented Skills, and Sports & Health Development Oriented Skills. The categories are further broken down into specific topics, which are focused and short in duration such that success can be readily achieved. Life skills activities offer necessary skills to encourage self-reliance, access to resources, and engagement into the community. Courses are conducted by the owners and top managers of the more than 300 companies that are members of the Guam Chamber of Commerce.
The Legislative Review Committee was formed in 2014. The Chamber found that the number of bills generated by the Guam Legislature made it increasingly difficult to monitor and gather information in recent years. The group is committed to reviewing legislation and public policy issues that impact economic growth and progress in Guam and the region.
Aims to sustain and increase membership by providing supportive services, organizing learning opportunities, coordinating business mentorship, and recognizing member achievements, accomplishments, and community contributions
Through its partnership with the Judiciary of Guam, the Chamber has joined the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Guam Red Ribbon Week Committee to promote safe, healthy, drug-free lifestyles throughout the month of October, which culminates with the nationally recognized Red Ribbon Week. This campaign provides an opportunity for communities to unite by bringing together parents, schools and businesses as we look for new and innovative ways to keep kids safe and drug free. The Chamber encourages business members to participate in school outreach programs, place a Red Ribbon message or logo on their advertisements, wear Red Ribbons and distribute ribbons to their employees, and support the island wide “wear red day.” The event includes community outreach at shopping malls, education outreach at schools, a poster contest, a 5K run, and ends with the “Say Boo! To Drugs” event at Agana Shopping Center at the end of October.
This annual recognition, honors one Chamber member company, group, or organization who makes or has made a noteworthy contribution to the growth of small business in Guam with the development of sustainable practices, products and/or services. The recipient of the award is announced at the Annual Small Business Expo event. The Small Business Excellent Award program is a component of the Small Business Focus & Development Committee.
A series of monthly seminars developed by the Chamber’s Small Business Focus & Development Committee in cooperation with the Guam Small Business Development Center, and presented by Chamber members. Initially developed with small businesses in mind, each seminar provides guidance and instruction on a variety of topics to assist all companies, including customer service, tax issues, fraud and economic trends.
View our event calendar here.
Toys for Tots is a seasonal endeavor in which Chamber member companies support Marine Corps Activity Guam's effort on island to ensure that a variety of toys and gift items are distributed in the community where they will do the most good. Toys for Tots has been popular among the membership and the generosity and support for this program is well supported by the employees of a variety of Chamber member companies.
2023 Toys for Tots Announces High School Challenge Winner
Okkodo High School and Notre Dame High School have been named winners of the 2023 Toys for Tots High School Challenge, a program in support of the Annual Toys for Tots Campaign spearheaded by Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz. Of the eight (8) participating high schools, Okkodo High and Notre Dame collected and donated the most toys in their respective divisions between October 2nd and December 1, 2023.
The Guam Chamber of Commerce’s Armed Forces Committee offered schools with a population of more than 500 students a $1,000 prize. A $700 prize was offered to schools with less than 500 students. Okkodo High School was the large school winner with a total of 1,242 toys donated. Notre Dame High School was the small school winner with a total of 147 toys donated.
The challenge allowed students to make a difference during the holiday season by contributing new, unwrapped toys for their youth counterparts. The primary goal of the Toys for Tots program is to help bring the joy of Christmas and to send a message of hope to our region’s less fortunate children.
Through the high school challenge, a total of 1,814 toys were collected and went directly to The Salvation Army, Catholic Social Service, Mañe'lu, Guam Memorial Hospital, and Harvest House, who then assisted with the distribution of toys to families in Guam. The 2023 Toys for Tots campaign collected a total of 11,952 toys in Guam and 4,227 toys in Saipan. In 2022 a total of 11,075 toys were collected.
The program would like to send a warm Si Yu’os Ma’ase to all participating high schools for their generosity in supporting Toys for Tots in 2023:
- Academy of Our Lady of Guam
- George Washington High School
- Guahan Academy
- Guam High
- Harvest Christian Academy
- Okkodo High School
- Notre Dame High School
- Tiyan High School
The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a not-for-profit charity with a 75-year history. Last year the Marine Toys for Tots Program fulfilled the holiday hopes and dreams of 8.8 million less fortunate children in over 800 communities nationwide by distributing 22.4 million toys. Since 1947 over 289 million children have been assisted and 627 million toys distributed. For more information, visit www.toysfortots.org.
Notre Dame High School presentation, January 25, 2024
Okkodo High School presentation, January 16, 2024